Rod from muzzle? Boresnake from breech? Otis type cable from breech to muzzle? etc., etc.?

Thanks!!

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I own several lever rifles and clean them all from the breech end, using a bore snake. I never use a rod from the muzzle end. Seems to me anything in the receiver, chamber & barrel will be dragged/pushed out the muzzle with the bore snake which is much better than pushing everything down the barrel into the chamber and receiver. I use a bore light to ensure the bore is clean.

I am not one of those who disassembles Marlin levers when I clean them, although many do and it's not difficult. Probably 95% of the bolt can be cleaned without taking it apart and that's what I prefer to do. Same with my Browning lever guns, I am not about to take the bolts out of my BLRs as I've heard enough horror stories about reassembly and timing issues, which can also lead to headspace issues, so color me a chicken on that.

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I've always cleaned my M94's from the muzzle end with a rod. But I take a 7x57 empty case and cut the base off of it. I use it as a bore guide. Suppose a 7-08 or a .260 case would work just fine too.

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Right now I have Marlins and a Savage 99. I remove the bolt from the Marlins and clean from the rear; the Savage gets cleaned from the muzzle, with a bore guide in place.

BRL,
I only have Marlin lever guns. I clean from the breech for the same reasons as Tnhunter, above, as well as to not take a chance on damaging the barrel crown. I do remove the bolt on my 336, 1894 and 1895 Marlins; it's easy.....remove the lever screw and lever, pull the bolt out and lift out the ejector...that's it.

I use a Deweys coated one-piece cleaning rod and "Burts Bore Guide(s)" (available from Brownells). These bore guides are specifically made for cleaning Marlins from the breech with a cleaning rod......there are two configurations; one for 1894's and one for 336/444/1895 models.
Hope that this helps.
Dan

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I pull the bolt and clean from the breech on my Marlins as well. With my Navy Arms 1892, I clean from the muzzle with a bore guide. One of these days, I need to learn how to remove the bolt from it.

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I clean my '92 Winchester clone from the breech with a rod. Run a .22 cleaning rod without a tip through the muzzle and attach the appropriate caliber tip or brush at the ejection port, then pull the rod out the muzzle. Repeat as often as necessary removing the tip or brush each time it exits the muzzle. This method keeps all the crud in the barrel from getting pushed into the receiver.

This one comes up a lot.

I should probably try a bore snake, but I have relied on cleaning from the muzzle with a bore for decades. I have a 336 .30-30 with the smoothest bore in the business, and it takes a pile of cast bullets to foul it badly. Jacketed fouling is minimal.

I roll 3 2 1/2" patches, and insert them in the chamber, and close the action. The patches keep the crud outa' the moving parts, when I'm done I drag a couple patches through on a section of 150lb test monofilament to sweep the chamber.

Once a year, in the dark months when I'm bored, I pull all my guns apart and clean them carefully. Then I wait for spring.

Thanks for all the feedback gentlemen. There are some great ideas here. I have a BLR in 7mm-08 that hasn't seen a lot of action. I'd like to start shooting it more and move that next in line for some hunting. The first time I cleaned it I went from muzzle with a rod being extremely careful and moving slow but I don't want to keep doing that.

Thanks again!!

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President/Biochemist
Premium Nutrition, Inc.